The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-05-06
OUR HARBOR DESTRUCTION.

z Z
interested few realize what a dra,
on the material progress of on
( community is the present condition
OF the cbannel at The month of the
~PascagOula river. We have endeav
ored TO collect the facts and confess
ourselves surprised at the figures.
Only a few years ago ten aut
a half feet could be carried ovel
the bar at high tide aud there was
a depth of eight and a halt feet al
mean tide. But now, we are in,
formed, a vessel drawing seven feet
can barely pass through a. the
highest stage of water, and ordi.
naTily five and a half to six feet
is all that ear he depended IN.
Those who are mindful of the
plumber ct the large vessels which
used to pass up to the mills and
return lumber-ladeu, will find in
these figures an explanation of the
rem rkable absence of such crafts
from our river of late. We are in
formed that the cause of the trouble
is a short bar which has formed
within the channel, and one which
the small expenditure of a few
thousand dollars would suffice TO
and replace the pass in the
condition it was left at the compile i,
tion of the last dredging contract.
AS it is, our commerce that is un. 9
lergOing heavy losses, and the utter +
extinction of one branch thereof n
GEMS inevitable. The small craft 4
rading with Key West and other .
'oints near by have lately expert .
need almost ruiuous trouble, delay n
nd expense in yenturiDg over the q
-
The schooner Roland Sanford a
lay in the river for ten days q
waiting a tide which would float q
r over Tha bar, and was finally =
mpelled to disc6aTEgp part OF her 8
rgo on lighters, pass out, and Is
en- load again, at an expense tn
lich probably consumed all the ",
light money earned on the trip. GO
about the same time two other ul
the same class of small craft Law ho
the bar tor two and five DAYS n,
'pectively, bard aground. Our so
'gest tow boats haYe been com TN
lied to remain outside of tue nj
'er during the low tides of the so
st season and pay smaller tugs oh
bring their tows down and out %,
er the bar to them, thus adding Q r
gely to the cost of towage. Thus of
will be eel that such actual loss hv
] damage will soon aggregate to {
amount equal to the entire lar
cunt estimated for the cost of On,
whole work needed, to say cos
hing of the very obvious en- linn
go thus placed upon our com. far
roe, and the resultant damage ann
he entire community. rav
We're it not for the fact that an y
'roprIation is available for re. for
'ing this bar and the delay of its uno
'llcation not at all necessary that nos,
can see, we could bear these ho ,
wbacks with much better grace. s,o,
when we consider that the anc,
'unt available would be sufi. tho
1t to save the troubles and ex- man
dltures as We have mentioned into.
ieo 0~OuS'Idiueu 10 urge infol
u Major DamrelI the Importance oht.
'rompt action 10 the premises.
'e will not at present enlarge b
n the great benefits to be de pie
d from a twelve foot channel 900
IS our bar as originally intend Rail-
aud we are not appealing to rTllr'
gress for appropriations. We Meri
'ly want what has been set prov
tor US applied to save us such not il
t and irreparable losses. ty o.
- Meri,
TEXAS legislator a short time